Artificial grass - a plea

Agree MissAdventure just as we had to with our windows and doors, no choice. I really am fearful of the landfill that will result & fear that the time will come when the Government penalise us heavily when they need replacing . Your garden sounds idyllic Lynnebo

I love my garden to pieces. It is my little sun trap complete with raised borders, honeysuckle, clematis, roses and numerous pots containing various bright coloured flowers that attract bees and butterflies. I have birds of all makes, including woodpeckers, that come to visit. Yes, I have my patch of artificial turf because the developer forgot to include the land drainage that was in the plans and the grass was a quagmire all year round.
Did I say I love my garden? I certainly do ?

People do what suits them; according to their circumstances, their ability or inclination to keep a garden neat and tidy.
There are a few houses around here with artificial hedges.

I see the same.

We are now being told we must stop using takeaway cups who encouraged the habit? We must stop using plastic straws and go back to paper ones, we are not allowed to buy cotton ear buds anymore because of the plastic (do not understand why there is no alternative eg stiff paper) but we are so far backward we had no alternative but to replace wooden window frames and doors with this plastic stuff as the companies will not come out to quote because our home is in the lower price bracket so we would be spending too much on our type of home (ie our home is too 'cheap' for them to waste time giving us a quote for wooden) and now we are not being told think about the environment and halt all this artificial turf laying - strange world. There have been quiet mumblings about paving over front gardens for parking while loud shouts about not jumping in out cars and car sharing. We are all going on and on about not using plastic bags for shopping and I better stop now. BUT when will tge day come when we are all abke to say, but I am really recycling everything and not using even more plastic? When the Green Party are the ruling Government??

See what you unleashed .

As a postscript to my post above, I find it really odd that some of my neighbours, the same ones laying down astroturf (to save time spent lawnmowing they say) are the same ones who have had block-paved driveways installed. The old concrete or tarmaced ones used to get an occasional sweep. Now they spent hours spraying the weeds that sprout in between the bricks with noxious chemicals, pressure washing using precious water resources, resanding and sealing with even more chemicals.

Astroturf is a petroleum-based product that creates pollution and waste in the manufacturing process. And, while it is often made partially with recycled materials, it is not biodegradable. After a long life of from 15 to 25 years, it will, ultimately, end up in a landfill.

Interesting article here. Two years old but worth a read.

bit.ly/29qQDrz

There are only 64 matches being played on 12 pitches in Russia . It’s not surprisingly that they look good !

My home team play 23 per season with rugby being played on alternate weeks and the pitch still looks great at the end of the season .

Yes, it's just that the grass looks immaculate, not a blade of grass out of place, neat stripes, more like a bowling green than a football pitch. Also no grass stains on their white shorts in spite of all the skidding on the ground. I wonder how they achieve that. Trade secret.

The championship team that I support has a pitch that is 25% synthetic turf for added strength.

I'm sure they don't play on artificial pitches. As far as I know Oldham Athletic once did have an artificial pitch but it was eventually replaced. From my experience with my hockey playing DS, artificial grass can give players awful grazes - he has lots of scars! Footballers take a lot of tumbles so blood might be shed! On the other hand it might deter them from taking dives! Just imagine the carnage if rugby was played on such pitches.

Watching the football has made me wonder if they are playing on artificial grass. It looks immaculate even after being trampled on quite vigouriously. Years ago the pitch used to be very churned up and players had mud all over their kit. We don't see that now, do we?

with you all the way Sarah - totally agree. Sad beyond belief.

My daughter has only Astro turf in her very small garden . But by doing so it’s an outdoor space the two dogs and 2 grandchildren can use year round without filling the house with mud !!

It’s a practical choice and I can’t fault her for it. She does her best for wildlife by having pots and hanging baskets but it’s a seaside home without much in the way of bird life , I spent the weekend there and didn’t see anything bar seagulls flying overhead .

I take the OPs point but I do think grass for a myriad of reasons is not for everyone.

The birds love our window feeders and we can watch them when sitting in the dining room or sitting room relaxing. Apart from our enjoyment of close up bird watching the squirrels can't get at them which is a huge bonus.

If I wasn't able to cut the grass myself it would be worth getting a local youngster or student to give me aa hand for a few quid. Problem solved.

If I were able bodied Mrsmopp I would enjoy mowing my "real" grass, however circumstances dictate otherwise. We had fake grass laid through health/age reasons, perfect answer for us.

Plastic grass? How revolting. Why not go the whole hog and stick plastic flowers around the borders?
I hate fake anything.

There are alternatives for a green easy care space, a gravel area with creeping thyme or similar plants.
New people near us have moved out to the coutryside and covered the floor of a woodand area with astroturf, smothering bluebells and other wild flowers, it looks awful, and even worse during the wet winter it got covered in mud.

I hadn’t thought about the dogs wee making it smell. DD has two dogs and a dog flap so they would be making full use of it! It would need frequent hosing. I think they need to think it out again! Thanks for the feedback. (Of course, if SiL could just cut the lawn more often...!)

I'm with sarahcyn. I dislike fake grass and agree about the need for birds and wildlife. I do understand why some people feel they've no choice but can't help wishing they'd do something less unpleasant than laying fake grass.
I don't like decking either. I have to add that my grown up children have both decking and fake grass. One of them asked me recently whether 'that gardening gene you have' would eventually show itself in her. She's the decking person.
I have wild bits at the edges of my small garden. I leave weeds and nettles there. I feed the birds, don't have a rat problem and love to watch the ground feeders snuffling around the lawn. It's just more beautiful than a piece of wood or astro turf.

Absolutely well put Sarah.This issue is troubling me greatly.Yet another neighbour has just flagged all their garden and laid fake grass,and put up solid fences with barely room for an earwig to get under let alone a hedgehog.I'm not sure what exactly Astroturf is made of but with all the concerns about micro plastics ending up in our waterways and seas surely these artificial lawns must leech out some minute particle too. Doesn't bear thinking about the future of our natural environment and wildlife if so.And before anyone says how much harm weedkillers etc do I for one won't use them in my garden, and we have deliberately left a scruffy wild are at the bottom of our garden.I fully appreciate that some people need a low maintainance outdoor space but I hate the growing trend as much as OP.

Grannyknot, I meant to add that when I do walk on it, it is lovely and soft. There are different grades and we chose a good one.

We had artificial turf laid 2 years ago, due to DH not being able to manage the lawn cutting and edging. Our garden is reasonably small, but we have kept borders on three sides. Plenty of trees and shrubs keep the wildlife happy. I am afraid we had it done to suit us and our circumstances, so I do not get upset when other people criticise, although none of our neighbours has done so.
Yes, it does get hot, like walking on a hot beach, but it could be cooled by hosing if necessary. We do not have animals, only the blasted cat who uses our borders, but I have heard that as the base is rubber, it could get smelly if you have dogs weeing on it. We wouldn't change it now for anything, and it is nice and green.

Grannyknot , you couldn't walk on our lawn/grass at the moment , it is hot and scratchy

I can't even stand the thought of Astroturf ... I mean, it's fake.

I love walking on grass with bare feet.